LiliLite began with Dutch designer Thijs Smeets and his partner Liedewij Theisens, both restless readers at home. They wanted less lamp fiddling, fewer piles on the nightstand, and light that actually matched how you open and close a book. That mix of shelf, warm task light, and simple on-off behavior became the first LiliLite sketches and prototypes.

Early units were built in small batches and shared online. Interest spread faster than they could hand-build units, so they used crowdfunding to fund tooling and stable production partners for the step to larger runs.

Thijs founded Amsterdam-based Studio Smeets in 2007 after working in design studios in the Netherlands and New York. Trained as both designer and engineer, his work spans furniture, consumer electronics, in-flight tableware, and sauna interiors.

As a student he won his first design award for eyewear that Max Mara still carries in its line. Biodegradable tableware for Hampi Products earned the Toon van Tuijl Design Award at the Dutch Design Awards in 2010. His Gispen Today furniture launched at Salone del Mobile in Milan and received Good Industrial Design recognition at Dutch Design Week in 2012. The Gispen Today chair sits in the design collection of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Work by Thijs Smeets has been shown from Seoul to Hamburg and from Amsterdam to New York. Clients have ranged from large brands to small design-led companies, with millions of his products produced over the years.